Ranging from assessments of Abraham Lincoln's political leadership to explorations of his enigmatic character, as well as reflections on the mythos that has become inseparable from the man, the essays in this collection create an incisive portrait of Lincoln, and our perception of him, on his bicentennial.

"In this special edition of their annual Best American History Essays, the Organization of American Historians tasked Princeton University professor [Sean] Wilentz to collect the best of Lincoln scholarship from the past 60 years. Each of the 11 essays come from a noted historian considering the 16th President from a different angle; included are Richard Hofstadter on Lincoln the self-made myth, Jean H. Baker on Lincoln the husband, John Hope Franklin on Lincoln the decider, Richard N. Current on Lincoln the 'master politician,' and James Oliver Horton on Lincoln the 'strange, friendless, uneducated, penniless boy.' Wilentz organizes the material in themes—general overview, the private man, the public figure, and the commander-in-chief.... Full of closely observed commentary and genuine insight."—Publishers Weekly